Air Force expands child care for hurricane-affected Airmen

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WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Air Force families affected by Hurricane Katrina and those involved in hurricane relief operations are eligible for free or subsidized child care.

Air Force officials opened the Air Force Extended Duty Child Care Program to those involved with relief efforts and those affected by the hurricane, whether they were previously enrolled in Air Force Services Family Member programs or not.

"The Air Force Extended Duty Care Program was set up in 2002 for just these types of emergency child care needs, and now -- as in the 9/11 aftermath -- help is immediately available," said Arthur Myers, Air Force Services director. "Our military and civilian employees evacuating from the affected areas, or going to the areas to help, may need help with child-care needs now more than ever. Requests from anyone in need are being quickly approved."

Child care exceeding 50 hours a week will be free for servicemembers and civilian employees eligible to use on-base child-care services.

Toni Koppen, chief of family member programs for Air Force Services, said Airmen or Air Force civilians need to call their local services squadron family child-care coordinators to take advantage of the free child care.

“Tell them you are an evacuee and that you want to use the Extended Duty Child Care Program,” she said. “The same goes if you are deploying as part of relief operations.”

For those servicemembers who use off-base child-care centers or family child-care homes, subsidies are available.

Air Force Services contracted with the National Child Care Resource and Referral Agency to provide off-base child-care subsidies in local civilian communities for Air Force families temporarily using state-licensed child-care homes and facilities.

Families needing child-care help in civilian communities can call the referral agency at (800) 424-2246 to ask about the Operation Military Child Care Subsidy Program. For general information on the program, people can visit www.childcareaware.org and click on Military Partnership Programs.

“(Air Force) Services is doing everything (possible) to help those displaced by Katrina and to help those who are helping others,” Ms. Koppen said.